Sweet Freedom - Week of August 8

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace— as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people. 1 Corinthians 14:33

Peace can often be hard to come by. In a span of a few weeks I had a beloved pet die, a cancer scare, legal battles with nefarious characters (including my daughters’ stalkers), flooding in our house, two friends die in freak accidents, and more additional calamities than I care to remember. Of course, others have gone through much worse than what I went through in those weeks. Life can certainly be hard or challenging, and when you’re in those circumstances it’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed, or at the end of your rope, or even self-pitying. The last thing you’re likely thinking about is trying to bless others. But that’s what we should be thinking about. Take a look at Christ. Jesus knew His death was imminent and that only He had the power to confer peace upon His followers. Instead of wallowing in His own justifiable angst, He comforted others. After explaining to His followers why He had to leave, He not only promised that He would return, but He also assured them that the Holy Spirit would come to comfort, teach, and guide them. In the same way, we are assured that same peace if we truly trust in God’s redemptive plan for us and are obedient to His Word.

Sweet Freedom in Action

Remember this today: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

In Sweet Freedom, Sarah Palin invites you to draw strength and inspiration from 260 meditations based on guiding Biblical verses. You are not alone in your doubts and anxieties—we all bear the burdens of everyday stresses, and for most of us, our concerns spread beyond our selves to our families, communities, and country. But Palin shows that with abiding faith, and by opening ourselves to the truths that have saved mankind for generations, we can thrive—and experience true freedom.